Psychologists say patients are turning to chatbots as mental health professionals
Reports and Proceedings
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 17-Jun-2026 12:16 ET (17-Jun-2026 16:16 GMT/UTC)
More than three-quarters of psychologists report their patients are discussing artificial intelligence in therapy, using the technology to seek additional support with their mental health, find a diagnosis or for friendship and intimate relationships, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.
Unlike cigarettes or alcohol, cannabis products often come packaged as colorful gummies, chocolates, candies and snacks that can look remarkably similar to items found in a grocery store aisle. A new Washington State University study suggests some of those products may also attract the attention of underage consumers. More than 80% of the 454 teens and young adults surveyed said some cannabis gummy and candy products would appeal to people under 21, even though they complied with Washington state’s cannabis packaging regulations. While cannabis products are sold only in licensed stores that minors cannot legally enter, young people may still encounter the packaging through family members, friends, social media or other sources.
Finns expect policymakers to respond actively to international tensions
A new study suggests that 71% of Finns believe the international rules-based order has already crumbled, and they hope Europe and Finland will respond with a robust foreign and security policy.
The research report ‘Wrecking-ball politics: Finns’ expectations in foreign and security policy transitions’ is based on the NATOpoll research project led by the University of Helsinki, in which survey data were gathered from over 3,100 Finns. 840 of these respondents had already completed surveys previously, enabling a longitudinal research perspective.
The report highlights that the international security environment is undergoing profound, wide-ranging change. As the rules-based order loses its guiding authority, nothing has yet emerged to replace it. Finns see it as Europe’s duty to defend this order against the hegemonic ambitions of the world’s major powers.
A new study by Prof. Avraham Faust of Bar-Ilan University's Department of General History presents intriguing new evidence that may shed light on one of the most debated questions in the study of Israelite religion: did King Hezekiah's religious reforms actually occur, and did they transform religious practices throughout the Kingdom of Judah?
Serious mental illnesses have long been sorted into separate diagnostic boxes, yet they cluster stubbornly within the same families. Researchers examined 173 multiplex families from the Portuguese Island Collection, drawn from the genetically isolated Azores and Madeira. In 28 percent of those families, psychosis and mood disorders co-segregated; in 7 percent, autism and intellectual disability joined the same pedigree. Whole-genome sequencing of one three-generation family uncovered an ultra-rare loss-of-function mutation in CHD2 that appeared as schizophrenia in most carriers and as autism in another. The work argues that founder-population families can expose rare, large-effect variants spanning the diagnostic spectrum.
Video gamers are fiercely parochial – to the point of being pointedly critical of their favourite games – but new research shows such passionate critique is a powerful form of brand loyalty, not a rejection.